Method of making shoes.



A. BATES.

'METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. l3. 19l3.

1 212,170. Patented Jan. 16,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. BATES.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

APPLICATlON FILED JAN. 13, 1913.-

1,212,170. Patented Jan.16,191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fi w FiglQ. M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR BATES, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR- TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR BATES, a subject of the King of England, residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain Improvements in Methods of Making Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the manufacture of boots and shoes and particularly to a novel method for conforming an upper to a last and securing the upper permanently to the sole. The novel method as herein shown and described is of special utility in the operation of lasting and sewing shoes of the type known in this country as stitchdowns and abroad as veldtschoen. Shoes of this type are provided with a sole, the margin of which projects beyond the side of the last, and the upper is shaped to the last and outturned at the angle between the side face of the last and the projecting margin of the sole to provide a flange which, in the completed shoe, is secured to the projecting sole margin by stitches extending throughthe flange of the upper and the margin'of the sole and usually a so-called welt is fastened by the stitches to the upper face of the projecting flange of the upper. In manufacturing shoes of this type heretofore, the procedure has been to stretch the upper about the last and to secure its edge temporarily in place by tacks driven through the margin of the upper into the edge face of the sole, as shown and described, for example, in prior Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,002,358, granted to me September 5, 1911. The shoe thus prepared was then passed to a stitching machine which pressed the upper against the top face of the sole margin and applied a welt to the top of the outturned flange of upper and stitched through the welt, upper and sole, thereby securing the parts together as shown for example in United States Letters Patent No. 791,005. The lasting tacks were' afterward withdrawn from the edge of the sole and the excess material trimmed from the projecting edges of the welt and upper.

By my improved method certainoperations, heretofore regarded as separate and necessarily preparatory, and the final shap- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

ing and fastening operation are completely combined, the tacking of the upper being eliminated, and instead thereof the upper is forced into final shape and is permanently fastened to the sole while it is being held under the original tension resulting from the lasting stretch and shaping pressure. The trimming of the upper may also be eflecpted as the lasting and fastening procee In practising this invention the upper and sole may be assembled as usual upon a last, with or without a preliminary stretching or shaping of the upper, preferably with the margin of the upper free adjacent to the edge of the sole, and the loose margin of upper is pressed toward the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole to shape it to the last stepby-step around the shoe and is fastened by stitches in said angle as the operation proceeds. During this shaping of the margin of the upper, the extreme edge of the upper is preferably held from movement toward the shoe so that by a relative movement of the last and the holding means the upper is drawn or stretched from the middle portion that is over the last to provide stock to extend into the angle. Advantageously the upper may be seized at its marginal edge and either held immovably while the last is moved to tension the upper or the seized margin may be drawn outwardly with reference to the shoe, the outward pull occurring either before, during or after the pressing inwardly into the angle occurs. During the tensioning operation more or less pressure may, or may not, be applied to the tread face of the sole to press and hold the upper against the top face of the sole and in the angle between the side face of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, but preferably such clamping pressure is applied after the upper has first been pulled and tucked inwardly into the angle. During the lasting operation a welt may be applied to the face of the upper, and the welt, upper and sole margin are then engaged, as by an awl, and moved to feed the work a step to a point where the welt and upper are sewed to the sole and the upper is held approximately in the apex of the angle between'the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, after which the exand this application filed January cess of marginal upper stock through engagement with which the upper had been pulled or tensioned is trimmed away even with the edge of the solo. The operation is repeated step-by-step along the projecting margin of the shoe.

In the manner of practising my improved method herein illustrated the projecting margin of the upper, while held as described during the operation of tensioning the upperby an outward pull, is moved in the direction of the feed movement of the shoe at a rate in excess ofthe feed movement of the sole'which is or may be due to the movement of the awl, that is, the upper is fed farther than the sole is fed so that in rounding the toe of the shoe the fullness is taken care of and prevented from accumulating to form a pucker or bunch as there would otherwise be a tendency for it to do. The advancing of the upper relatively to the sole edge tends to full the upper, the fullness or -the pucker thus formed beingtaken care of by the inclusion of it in the portion embraced by the stitch in the succeeding cycle of the machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a general view of portions of a machine adapted for use in practising this invention and which is claimed in my copending application Serial No. 730,439, filed November 9, 1912, of which this application is a division; Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 illustrate successive steps of my method, a portion of a shoe and certain 0perative parts of the mechanism of said machine being shown partly in section and partly in side elevation; Figs. 7 and 8 are plan views which show the step of feeding the shoe and feeding the upper farther than the sole is fed; Fig. 9 shows the step of trimming awaythe excess portion of the upper margin; Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate steps in the securing operation; and Fig. 12 shows the completed shoe, a part being broken away to disclose the construction of the shoe more clearly. I V

In practisingthe method, a sole 8 is applied to the bottom of the last t and tacked thereto. The upper is next assembled on the last with the free margin m flaring out wardly and preferably extending by or beyond the projecting margin of the sole. The shoe is then positioned, as here shown, with the sole uppermost and is preferably pressed laterally and vertically against a support 1 by which a bend in the upper is produced. As thus presented the edge of the upper extends outwardly into position to be seized by the jaws 2, 3 of agripper, Figs. 1 and 2. By the closing movement of the jaws, the upper is seized and held from movement toward the last, Fig. 3, and by a relativemovelnent of the upper and the last the upper is pulled or tensioned in the direction of-the arrow a in Fig. 4. When so pulled upon the upper renders over the support 1 whereby the upper is placed under tension about the last. The upper is shaped to the last and forced closely into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole by pressure of the shoe laterally against the support 1 during and particularly at the end ofthe pulling operation, and the upper and sole margins are firmly clamped together by the action of a presser foot 6, moving in the direction of the arrow I) as in Fig. 5. comprising Figs. 1 and 5 it may be seen that this described movement of the last and the sole while the jaws 2 and 3 remain stationary effects a tensioning of the upper and that an outward movement of the jaws is not necessary for tensioning the upper although I prefer to use it. The shoe is then in condition for the portion of upper just acted upon to be fastened and the first step in this direction is to force the awl S upwardly through the marginal portions of the shoe while they are so positioned and clamped. The awl moves in the direction of the arrow (Z, Fig. 6, through the upper and the projecting margin of the sole and past a lateral projection on the presser foot which holds the upper in clamped position, in front of the awl as shown in Fig. 6. This position, in plan, is also shown in Fig. 7, the needle 10 being also there shown in the act of forming the previous stitch. In Fig. 8 the work has been fed the length of one stitch by a movement of the awl from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8, the gripper jaws atthe same time having been moved from the dotted line position of Fig. 8 to the full line position, which, it may be ascertained, is somewhat farther than the feed movement of the awl. This excess movement of the gripper tends to full or pucker the portion of upper being treated, and to feed the upper and sole at relative rates corresponding substantially to the relative lengths of the fastening line and the edge of the upper around the toe of the shoe, thereby disposing of the fullness of the upper and also compensating for the greater peripheral extent of the upper compared with that of the sole.

In Fig. 10 is shown a step which may or may not be employed, which involves the trimming away of the margin of the upper where it extends beyond the edge of the sole.

As shown, this is accomplished by a knife 12 2*.

which may be mounted on the awl carrier and is operated by a further movement of the awl after it has effected the piercing and feeding of the work. During the feeding of the work, the pressure of the presser foot is preferably relieved and is again applied during the step shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11. Fig. 10 shows the step of passing the needle 14 through the hole just made by the awl S and the hooking of the underthread upon the hook of the needle by the looper 16. Fig.

10 shows the needle retracted and carrying the loop of thread through which the upper thread is passed by the shuttle after which the stitch is drawn tight by the usual means.

Preferably and as shown in Figs. 2 to 6 and Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12, a welt w is guided through an opening in the presser foot into a position where it will lie in the angle between the side of the shoe and the projecting flange of the upper and will be fed by the awl and sewn with the upper to the sole. In Fig. 12 a completed shoe is shown with a portion broken away to show clearly its construction.

It is to be understood, of course, that the method herein described is not dependent upon any particular mechanism, that shown in the drawings being merely an example of devices which may or may not be used to aid in practising the invention. 1

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. That improvement in methods of making shoes having a projecting sole and an outturned upper which consists in seizing and holding a portion of the margin of the upper at a point beyond the edge of the last, forcing the upper into the apex of the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, applying a strip of material to the exposed face of the flange of upper which lies upon the sole projection with the edge of the strip close in the apex of the angle, securing the strip to the sole to hold the upper in the apex of the angle, and

repeating the operation progressively by seizing and holding, forcing into the angle and securing to the top face of the sole successive portions of the margin of the upper along the edge of the shoe.

2. That improvement in methods of male ing shoes which consists in assembling an upper over a last having a sole presenting a lateral projection beyond the edge of the last which the upper overlies and to which projection the upper is to be secured, and progressively lasting the shoe by repeated operations of seizing and holding a portion of the margin of the upper, supporting the sole margin on the face covered by the upper, applying pressure to the opposite face of the sole margin, and securing the upper to said face of the sole which is covered by the upper while the sole and upper are so held under pressure.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in assembling an upper over a last having a sole projecting beyond the edge thereof, seizing a portion of the upper beyond the edge of the last, tensioning the upper in a direction outwardly from the side of the last in or substantially parallel with the plane of the last bottom,

forcing the portion of upper that is being tensioned into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, permanently securing the upper to the top face of the projecting margin of the sole, and repeating the steps of seizing, tensioning, forcing into the angle, and securing, progressively about the shoe.

4. That improvement in methods of making stitch-down shoes which consists of the following steps performed in repeated cycles upon adjacent portions along the periphery of the shoe: first tensioning a portion of the freely projecting upper while forcing the tensioned portion against the side of the last and against the top face of the adjacent portion of the projecting margin of the sole, applying a strip of material to the exposed face of the outwardly projecting upper, and then permanently securing the strip and upper together and to the said face of the sole to hold the upper in the apex of the angle.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in applying to the bottom of a last a sole which projects beyond the edge thereof, assembling an upper over the last, shaping the upper under tension intofinally lasted position in the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, and permanently securing the tensioned upper approximately in the apex of the angle and to the top face of the projecting sole margin by securing means including a thread or cord, and repeating the lasting and permanently securing operations step-by-step progressively about the periphery of the shoe.

6. That improvement in methods of making a shoe which consists in assembling an upper and a sole upon a last with the margin of the sole extending beyond the periphery of the last, shaping the upper to the last and into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, tensioning the upper while it is in the said position, feeding the shoe for the next cycle and fulling the edge of the upper by advancing the upper relatively to the edge of the sole, and securing the fulled portion to the upper face of the sole margin.

7. That improvement in methods of making a stitch-down shoe which consists in the following steps performed in repeated cycles along the periphery of the shoe: seizing a portion of the projecting margin of the upper and tensioning the upper, forcing the upper toward the side of the last and against the top face of the projecting margin of the sole, securing the upper permanently to said face, and trimming away the excess of marginal upper stock which extends beyond the edge of the sole and through which the tensioning was effected.

8. That improvement in methods of making a shoe of the stitch-down type, which consists in positionin the shoe with the sole uppermost and with't 1e margin of the upper extending beyond. the edge of the last, supporting the lower face of the projecting margin of the shoe, holding a portion of the edge of the upper from movement toward the last while pressing the upper into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole by pressure applied to the tread of the sole over the supported portion, securing the upper to the face of the projecting sole margin, and repeating the operation progressively along the margin of the shoe.

9. That improvement in methods of making a stitch-down shoe which consists in supporting one face of the projecting margin of the shoe, applying lasting tension to the portion of the upper extending loosely over the support, forcing the projecting marginal portion of the upper and sole together, and sewing the margin of the upper and the sole together face to face while the upper is still held under the original lasting tension.

10. That improvement in methods of making a shoe of the stitch-down type, which comprises positioning the shoe with the sole up and with the margin of are upper extending freely beyond the edge of the sole, pressing the upper toward the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, tensioning the upper outwardly in the direction of the projecting margin to conform the upper to the last, applying a weltto the face of the upper in the angle, securing the upper permanently in lasted position, and repeatingthe cycle of operations progressively about the margin of the shoe.

11. The method of making stitch-down shoes which consists in assembling the upper upon the last with the margin of the upper extending beyond the edge of the sole, holding the upper by the projecting margin, shaping the upper into the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, securing the upper and sole together, and feeding the upper and the sole at different rates corresponding substantially to the different relative lengths of the fastening line and the edge of the upper around the toe of the shoe.

12. That improvement in methods of making stitch-down shoes ,in which lasting of the shoe is' commenced with the margin of the upper around the shank and forepart of the shoe projectin freely and the lasting is effected by gripping a portion of the free margin and drawing its edge outwardly substantially in the plane of the last bottom while holding the upper in the angle between the side of the last and the top face of the sole so as to form a portion of the crease around the shank and forepart of the shoe, and the said portion of the margin of the upper is then stitched to the sole, the la sting and the stitching or like securing operation being effected substantially simultaneously.

18. That improvement in methods of making stitch-down shoes in which the shoe is lasted with the margin of the upper around the shank and forepart of the shoe projecting freely, the margin being gripped and pulled while the upper is held in the angle between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole to form the crease, introducing a welt strip at the same time, and stitching the upper and welt to the sole.

14:. The method of making shoes having a margin of the sole extending beyond the last bottom to receive an outturned flange of upper to be secured thereto, which consists in forcing the upper toward the angle formed between the side of the last and the projecting margin of the sole, tensioning the upper over the forcing member, forming the tensioned upper fully into the angle and securing the upper to one side of the said angle while the upper is under said tension.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR BATES.

WVitnesses:

FREDERICK WILLIAM WVORTI-I, WILLIE WILSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

